Love to Sew Podcast (Caroline Somos & Helen Wilkinson : Sewing Enthusiasts and Entrepreneurs)

Saremy Duffy from Sew Sew Live joins us to talk about commercial sewing techniques and how she started live-streaming sewing projects on YouTube! Saremy talks about her extensive experience in the sewing industry and shares her top tips for bringing commercial sewing practices into home sewing.

Hooray for beginner sewists! Helen and Caroline cover your beginner questions in this Q&A--from machine threading to fitting muslins!

From your favourite sewing tricks to your go-to sewing tools, we cover all your favourite sewing tips. Whether you are looking for ways to organize your sewing space, upgrade your sewing techniques or some simple, but smart, reminders to help you in your sewing journey, we've got you covered in this week's episode!

Jess Povenmire is on the show this week to talk about her fabric and yarn shop, La Mercerie. Jess shares her experiences building confidence in business, sticking to a schedule, and planning her creative projects.

This episode was originally released on August 19, 2019. In this Love to Sew Favourite, we talk about everything denim! What do denim weights mean? How do I choose the right denim for my project? What is selvage denim? We cover it all!

Are you looking for the perfect sewing gift to give to a loved one? What about gifts to give to your sewing friends? We’ve got you covered with all our favourites, so your gift can be both as special and unique as your loved one!

This week we break down our favourite simple and advanced hacks that will let you get the most mileage out of your patterns! Everything you need to know, from must-have hacking tools to how to mix your favourite patterns. You can hack it!

You asked, we answer! In this episode, we answer questions about lots of different topics, including: Caroline’s wedding dress, Helen’s board game recommendations, impostor syndrome, dealing with negative feedback, and our favourite pizza toppings. When we said ask us anything, we meant it! Plus, we give a personal update on our lives and businesses for the past eight months, play a fun game, and share a WIP organization tip from a drag queen listener.

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Learn about fabric dyeing! We cover different types of dyes, best practices, and the tools and supplies you will need to have success at home. Plus, we share our personal experience and our favourite tips and resources to inspire you to try your hand at fabric dyeing!

Meg McElwee joins us to chat about how we can mindfully sew our wardrobes as a form of self-care. Meg chats all about the early days of Sew Liberated Patterns and her recent course release of The Mindful Wardrobe Project!

A great garment pairs a good design with the perfect fabric. In this episode, we guide you through pattern and fabric matchmaking, whether in-person or online. Plus, we answer a question about using natural fiber fabrics for interfacing, share a listener’s recommended sewing gadgets, and share our best and worst fabric choices.

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For our 200th episode, we asked our listeners the question we ask all our guests: “How did you learn to sew?” In this episode, we share some of the many great responses we got - funny, touching stories of discovering this skill we all love.

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We are talking about sewing resolutions this week on the podcast! What are some of our goals for the new year and how can we help each other stay accountable? Learn about sewing challenges to keep you motivated and get inspired to make your own re-SEW-lution.

How competitive are you? This week we discuss our experience managing our competitive sides and fostering the sewing community. We hear from our listeners and dive into sewing competitions, social media comparison traps, and how to start a business in a competitive environment.

March's bonus episode is full of adventure! Caroline went on a dangerous hike and saw a bobcat in her yard; Helen tried basket making and signed up for a pottery course. Plus: exciting Helen's Closet news, Caroline's wedding guest dress, tons of cool pattern releases, and a tool that will keep your fabric from twisting and bunching up in the washer and dryer.

If you like this episode and want more, consider signing up for our patreon! For $5 USD, will get a bonus episode every month, plus weekly behind-the-scenes photo posts.

Click here to visit our Patreon!

Show notes:

Sewing Patterns:

• Sam Apron by Helen’s Closet
• March Top and Dress by Helen’s Closet
• Elodie Wrap Dress by Closet Core
• Cameron Button-Up by Helen’s Closet
• Avery Leggings by Helen’s Closet
• Daughter Judy
• Adams Pant by Daughter Judy
• Bowen Dress by Kim Sisson of Hubba Ding for Peppermint Magazine
• Sofia Sweetheart Knit Dress and Top by Staystitch Pattern Co.
• Sew it Yourself by Daisy Braid Pre-Order
• Cashmerette Club
• Kimball Bomber Jacket by Cashmerette
• Clove Vest by Charlotte Emma Patterns
• Hyde T-Shirt by Muna and Broad
• Nova Star Quilt by Then Came June

Other Mentions:

• Lost Ruins of Arnak
• Noble Blood Podcast
• Calico 
• Emily Van Hoff
• The Great Pottery Throw Down
• Dune
• Supergoop Glowscreen
• Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch Ultra Radiance Lotion
• Wad-Free
• Yoga with Adriene

We talk about a bunch of popular jacket styles and give fabric advice, sewing tips, and indie pattern recommendations for each one! We also talk about unusual details you find on jacket patterns and play “Is it a Jacket?” Plus, a listener question about options for non-staticky office tops. 

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Collars can be tricky to sew, but they’re worth it! In this episode, we go over the parts of a collar, the different kinds of collars, and lots of collar sewing tips. Plus, we answer a listener question about how to make more things you like, share some collared sewing patterns, and even talk about how to eliminate a collar!

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Ease is the extra length and width that pattern designers add so that you can move in your clothes. In this episode, we talk about how ease works and how to figure out the amount of ease that YOU like. It’s a game-changer for making clothes that fit! We also answer a listener question about grading between sizes vs. pattern adjustments.

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Hear your feedback over the last 6 months with our semi-annual feedback fest!  We share your inspiring sewing stories, responses to recent episodes, additional sewing tips, and so much more!

It’s our 3 year anniversary! Join us as we catch up on our businesses and day-to-day lives, along with answering all your questions in a special Q&A!

We discuss the history of the zipper, how to choose a zipper for your project, and our best tips for zipper success when sewing!

Emily Hundt is the designer behind In the Folds, an independent sewing pattern company based in Sydney, Australia. Emily believes in slow sewing and cherishing the making process. She is currently running a Kickstarter campaign to take her PDF patterns to print. We chat about planning and launching a crowdfunding campaign, her recent rebrand, and her unique design philosophy.

Learn all about linen! We discuss the fascinating history of linen, common characteristics of linen, and the many great pattern suggestions for sewing with linen. We also touch on some tips and tricks for sewing with linen and our favourite linen makes!

This episode was originally released on December 2, 2019. Are you looking for the perfect sewing gift to give to a loved one? What about gifts to give to your sewing friends? In this Love to Sew Favourite, we’ve got you covered - so your gift can be as special and unique as your loved one! 

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Lisa Comfort tells the story of Sew Over It, her online and in-person sewing shop. Lisa sells patterns, fabrics, classes, and more! She started small and has grown her business into one of the biggest indie sewing companies in the world.

We interview Brandon Hayden, a pattern designer, sewing teacher, and content creator who makes menswear with bold fabrics and cool details. He wants to empower sewists to build their skills and express themselves!

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We share your favourite sewing confessions, from sewing over pins to not pre-washing your fabrics, we’ve got them all!

Four years after our first Sewing Swimwear episode, we’re back on the topic with more sewing tips, better fabric information, and lots of great pattern recommendations! We also cover ideas for adapting non-swimwear patterns into swimwear, swim coverup ideas, places to buy swimwear fabric, and a review of all the swimwear we have sewn ourselves. Plus: listener feedback from our Getting Started with Pattern Drafting episode!

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Learn all about elastic! We dive into different types of elastic, and which ones you should be using for your next project. Plus, we share our tops tips for sewing with elastic, along with our favourite elastic sources!

In this episode, we interview Claire Birnie from Sew Outdoorsy! We chat with her about technical fabrics, weatherproofing your me-mades, gear sewing techniques, and designing plus size patterns for activewear. 

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You’ve reached the Love to Sew Help Line! What’s your sewing struggle? In this episode, we’re taking your calls and giving out advice - on how to upcycle overalls into pants, what fabrics to use for summer shorts and trousers, whether or not to backstitch when shirring, and more! Plus, we catch up about our summer adventures and announce a new way to support Love to Sew.

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Arounna Khounnoraj joins us to discuss the beautiful craft of punch needle! She shares what you need to get started, how to overcome beginner challenges, and some top tips for punch needle success.

Want to sew menswear for yourself or a loved one? We talk about some differences between classic womenswear and menswear, where to get started, and how to approach sewing for a loved one. Plus pattern ideas and tips for success with sewing menswear!

Katie Marcus from What Katie Sews shares how she learned to sew, her favourite makes and patterns, and her passion for sustainability through sewing. Katie has a modern approach to sewing, focusing on wearable makes that reflect her strong sense of style. We loved getting to know Katie and we hope you do too!

Let’s get fancy and chat about delicate fabrics! We discuss different kinds of delicate fabrics, and the tools and tips you need to succeed in working with fine fabrics. You will be sewing up your silks and chiffons in no time!

What do we do with all of our fabric scraps? We break down how we store our scraps, what is worth keeping, and loads of project ideas that will have you scrap-free in no time.

This episode is about one of our very favourite fabrics - Indian block prints! We explore the rich history of these textiles, the process of making them, and where to buy them. We also share a bunch of pattern ideas and sewing tips so you can incorporate these dreamy, light, beautiful fabrics into your wardrobe! Plus, we answer a listener question about sewing rulers. 

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Our partners Shea and Sam join us for our 20th episode! We are so excited to introduce you to the guys that support us through our everyday lives as sewists and entrepreneurs. We test their sewing knowledge, laugh about the hardships of living with a sewist, and get their take on our journey as small business owners.

We take on a ten-day capsule wardrobe challenge and tell you how it went, what we learned, and what we would do differently next time. Lee Vosburgh's 10 x 10 Challenge helped us to reflect on our current lifestyle and wardrobe needs. We walk away feeling motivated to approach our sewing plans thoughtfully and realistically.

Learn everything you ever wanted to know about sergers! We break down different types of stitches and what they are used for, give some top recommendations for entry-level machines, and tell you everything to look out for when choosing the right serger for you. Plus lots of great resources to learn more and get you overlocking in no time.

This episode was originally released on October 9, 2018. In this Love to Sew Favourite, we cover different types of knit fabrics, the tools you need, and tips for getting a professional finish while sewing. You will be making your own tees, leggings, and sweaters in no time!

Carolyn Norman joins us to talk about sewing as a form of artistic expression. She shares stories from almost 50 years of sewing and inspires us to look at our sewing hobby as more than just making clothes. We talk about finding inspiration in your everyday life, being buried with your favourite fabrics, and her column in Sewn Magazine.

Norris Dánta Ford joins us to chat about menswear style! Norris chats about why fashion is important to him, and how we can be bolder with our styling choices. He shares styling resources, styling inspiration, and the many projects he is working on in the sewing community and beyond!

Chelsea Gurnoe joins us to share her story of starting her indie pattern design company, Friday Pattern Co.! We chat about Friday pattern favourites, the beginning years in the business, and her commitment to social responsibility.

This episode was originally released on July 6, 2020. In this Love to Sew Favourite, we discuss the fascinating history of linen, common characteristics of linen, and the many great pattern suggestions for sewing with linen. We also touch on some tips and tricks for sewing with linen and our favourite linen makes!

Colette Guanta joins us to talk about her fabric shop and pattern company, Tessuti! We hear the inspiring story of how Tessuti Fabrics began, and how it has evolved over the past quarter century.

Mimi G inspires us with stories from her journey to becoming a sewing celebrity. We chat about her pattern line with Simplicity, the Sew It Academy, her workshops, and more. Mimi G is passionate about sharing her knowledge with the world and encouraging the next generation to sew.

This episode is all about sewing garments, bags, and accessories for trips! We talk about the best fabrics, how to layer, and how to design a travel capsule. Plus: indie patterns for clothes that travel well, tips for sewing travel bags, and our memories of sewing for travel! We also answer a listener question about sewing lace with big holes and share listener feedback about sewing motivation.

Show Notes

Quick wins are projects that refresh you and revive your sewjo. If you’re feeling uninspired and unmotivated to sew, have a listen! We go over what makes a project “quick”  and what makes it a “win” so you can choose a project that will work for you. Plus, we share a bunch of specific ideas for quick win projects, including our personal faves!

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Join us for a discussion of everything sleeves! We review the three main types of sleeves, walk you through several methods of attaching set-in sleeves, and offer lots of sleeve sewing tips. Plus, we cover sleeve fitting, sleeve pattern hacking, and our favourite sleeve styles. 

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This episode is all about lace! What it is, how to sew with it, and WHAT to sew with it. Plus, an overview of the history of lace, the different kinds of lace, and your lace questions, answered! We also answer a listener question about how to draft a paneled circle skirt.

Show Notes

Home decor sewing can make your house into a warm, inviting home! In this episode, we chat about the home decor fabrics, notions, and tools you’ll need to do a bevy of projects. We also give home-decor specific sewing tips, share the projects we’ve made ourselves, and discuss inspiring project ideas. Plus, listener feedback about our quilted garments episode!

Show Notes

We discuss how sewing can be a form of self-care, ways to create self-care moments in your sewing practice, and how sewing plays an important role in our self-care practices!

Denise Archer shares her personal experience battling cancer and how sewing played a vital role. We discuss sewing as an escape and the power of knowing our bodies through our relationship with making clothes. Denise also shares her perspective on body image post-cancer and reconstructive surgery.

This episode was originally released on December 11, 2018. In this Love to Sew Favourite, we discuss everything you need to know about sewing a coat, from beginner tips to advanced tailoring techniques. We also discuss wool coating fabrics and how to mentally prepare for a big project like a coat!

In this episode, we review components of design (volume, colour, texture, print, and more) so that you can pinpoint your ideal personal style. Then we offer suggestions to bring your ideal down to earth so that it’s wearable in your everyday life. Plus: how to have fun with fashion, a listener question about getting flat knit neck bands, and our favourite part: the phrases listeners use to describe their style! 

Show Notes

We love meeting fellow sewists in real life! It is so much fun, and we want to encourage you to try it too. We talk about how to meet online friends in person, how to organize a sewing meet-up, basic meet-up etiquette, and lessons learned from our past sewing get-togethers.

We have assembled a fantastic pep squad of sewists to reignite your sewing passion! In this episode, there are nine pep talks from former guests Brooks Ann Camper, Jasika Nicole, Elise Blaha Cripe, Aaronica Cole, Jenny Rushmore, Julian Collins, and Denise Archer, as well as your hosts, Helen and Caroline.

Have you ever looked at all the stitches you can do on your machine and wondered, “What’s that one for?” In this episode, we explain the function of each stitch, give tips on how to get the best results from machine stitching, and share some ideas for how to use decorative stitches. We also share listener feedback about sewing social media platforms!

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Sewing starlet Gretchen ‘Gertie’ Hirsch joins us to chat about retro sewing and curvy pattern design! Gertie shares her sewing journey from starting her blog over a decade ago to producing sewing patterns, books, and hosting workshops around the world. Gertie shares her love for retro glam, and the behind-the-scenes of making a pattern that accentuates women’s curves.

Julian Collins joins us to chat about his sewing journey and the Black Makers Matter coalition. We discuss how the sewing community can support Black makers and help to ensure companies big and small make it clear that they value their Black customers. Julian also talks about the confidence he gets from wearing handmade garments and his SewManly Facebook group! 

In this episode, we head to the place where sewing and media meet! First, we share some TV shows, movies, podcasts, and audiobooks that are about sewing. Then, we share recommendations from us and listeners about non-sewing-related media we love to put on while we sew. We also share some tips for how to actually hear or see media while you’re at the machine. Plus, we share listener feedback about a me-made wedding dress, a roller sewing machine foot, and the archaeology of sewing needles. 

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We celebrate five years of Love to Sew with a chatty catch-up, a bit of reflection, and a bunch of sewing-themed games! Thank you for five wonderful years!

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We share four big strategies for saving money on sewing, with lots of helpful tips from our listeners. You can make amazing things without spending a lot - or anything at all!

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In this episode, we answer YOUR questions in another installment of the Sewing Help Line! We talk about cutting off-grain, sun-protective fabrics, how to adjust shorts that are two sizes too big, and lots more! Plus, we catch up about our summer adventures.

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In this episode, we interview Bernadette Banner, historical sewist extraordinaire! She answers all of our hand sewing questions, chats with us about historical clothing, and gives us a behind-the-scenes look at her YouTube channel. 

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Samantha (aka @purplesewingcloud) is a sewist known for her fun, colourful makes. In this episode, we chat with her about mixing prints, incorporating patchwork into garments, and how to make the sewing community more accessible. Sam also shares the design process for her handmade wedding dress, her personal accessibility strategies, and how to do foundation paper piecing.

Show Notes

Erica Schmitz joins us on the show to talk about MyBodyModel, a web app that generates custom, body-positive croquis based on your own measurements. Erica takes us on her journey, from her first ideas and focus-testing to running her successful Kickstarter campaign. Today is launch day and we can't wait to share this app with you!

We discuss the many exciting options for sewing your own accessories! From sewing bags to making your own shoes, we round-up some amazing project ideas and share our favourite me-made accessories too.

This week, we are delving into zero waste sewing! Helen and Caroline discuss how to revolutionize your sewing practice with waste-reducing techniques, zero waste patterns, and sustainable habits.

Michelle Brown Colistro from Matchpoint Fabric joins us this week to chat about sustainable sewing. We chat about sustainability in the textile industry, and ways you too can make a positive, sustainable impact with your sewing. We also chat about Matchpoint Fabric as a successful earth-friendly business!

This episode was originally released on May 20, 2019. In this Love to Sew Favourite, we share the wonderful, heartfelt, and surprising reasons why we sew. Listeners all around the world wrote in to tell us their ‘why’ and celebrate this wonderful hobby with us!

Has a tool or resource completely changed your sewing practice? We share your revelatory stories on what has altered your sewing game, and ours too!

We’re bringing this mini-episode out from behind the paywall as a treat for you! It was originally released in September 2024. 

This mini-episode is about bread-and-butter sewing techniques that reduce bulk. We review the basics of grading, trimming, and notching, plus some more advanced and unexpected techniques that will give you a great finish. Caroline and Helen learn a lot about each other in this episode…👀 Let us know: do you trim your seams every time, or only when the pattern instructs you to?

If you would like access to a new mini-episode every month, plus our back catalogue, subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts or sign up to our Patreon at the “Love to Sew Superfan” level.

Thanks to our subscribers for your support. And thank you to all our listeners for listening! 

Show Notes

Chests come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes - and patterns usually don’t. In this episode, we go over the ways that patterns are shaped (or not) to accommodate a bust, how you can tell if you need a pattern adjustment, and how to adjust patterns to fit your unique chest.

Show Notes

Learn all about bias tape! We discuss the different types of bias tape, how to make it, and where to use it. We share some inspiring bias tape projects and some of our favorite shops to buy bias tape!

We dive into fancy weaves - those fabrics that are made with special looms, special tools, special yarn twists, or otherwise unusual processes! We cover satins, jacquards, velvets, dobby weaves, and more, describing what they’re like, how they’re made, and how to sew with them. We also give advice to a listener who’s starting her own business.

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This week we are chatting with Jennifer Wiese, owner of Workroom Social in Brooklyn, New York. Jennifer joins us to chat about running sewing classes and retreats, creating a custom line of fashion fabrics, and finding your personal style. We also touch on the struggles of running a small business and how we are all going at our own pace.

We dive deep into patterns this week with tips for organizing, storing, and collecting sewing patterns. We cover hot-button topics like indie vs. big 4, paper vs. PDF, and tracing vs. cutting! This is a great episode for beginner sewists navigating the world of patterns!

This episode was originally released on September 21, 2020. In this Love to Sew Favourite, Maressa Fernandez joins us to talk about maker affirmations! She shares how maker affirmations can help us to work through creative struggles and inspire a breakthrough in your creative practice.

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Learn all about pins and needles! We cover different types of needles and pins and what you need to know when considering pins and needles for your projects.

Gillian Whitcombe chats with us about The Sewcialists, and her blog Crafting a Rainbow. We discuss her experience running an online community and the compelling Sewcialists blog series, Who We Are. Gillian also has some great advice about taking better blog photos and defining personal style.

In this episode, we interview low-waste pattern designer Cris Wood! We chat with her about how her patterns work, her design process, and what draws her to low-waste patternmaking. We also talk about her cool and colourful personal sewing.

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How do you connect with other sewists in today’s social media landscape? In this episode, we talk about the benefits and drawbacks of the most popular social media platforms, give some tips and tricks for making sewing content that connects with people, and answer some listener questions about sewcializing.

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Get ready for the lovey-dovey-est episode ever! We share your touching, funny, creative love letters to sewing teachers, sewing tools, sewing machines, fabric, friends, family, and sewing itself.

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Francisco Diaz is an artist, slow fashion sewist, and upcycler extraordinaire! In this episode, we pick their brain about sewing with thrifted fabrics, painting and drawing on garments, earth day goals, queer creator collabs, and more.

Paulette Erato joins us to chat about the sewing challenges happening in our community in 2020! We chat about her successful blog, Petit Font, and her annual round-up of sewing challenges each year. We also touch on Paulette’s involvement in this year’s Sew My Style challenge.

Shannon Flaherty joins us to talk about Sew Queer and her involvement in the online sewing community! Shannon shares her experience as a queer, fat sewist and gives her advice on inclusivity in the sewing community.

YOU can quilt! In this episode, Helen shares a bunch of reasons to love quilting, walks quilting newbie Caroline through the steps of the quilting process, and recommends projects for beginner quilters. If you’re quilt-curious, this episode may just make you a quilter!  Plus, we answer a listener question about the minimum of tools you’ll need to quilt if you’re a garment sewist. 

Show Notes

Helen Wilkinson and Caroline Somos host Love to Sew, a fun weekly podcast about making clothes, sewing community, and small business. They talk (and laugh) about their passion for sewing a handmade wardrobe and their daily lives as creative entrepreneurs. Listen to interviews with indie business owners and inspiring sewists who totally understand your obsession with sewing. Join us every Tuesday for new episodes of Love to Sew!

What does your style say about you? From assessing your current style to designing your dream wardrobe, we will have you inspired to create the looks that best suits you.

Our mothers join us on the show for this very special episode! We chat about what we were like as kids, the history of sewing in our families, and what our moms think of the sewing community today. These women helped shape who we are and we are so excited to introduce them to you! 

Anna Graham joins us to share her tips on sewing bags, how she got into pattern making, and designing her very own fabric line. We also talk about how she bought her studio space sight unseen and balancing work and family life.